2265-E
 
SCHOOL-BASED SHARED-DECISION-MAKING
 

A.  A planning team will be formed in each building which is representative of parents, teachers, the Principal, support staff, and students when appropriate. The team will be constituted to fit the complexion of the building. Size of the team and frequency of meetings will be determined by each team.
 
B.  A minimum of one teacher from each building team will serve on the district team. For new building team members, a minimum two year term of service is required. The building team will select its chairperson from among team members.
 
C.  Building teams will use a form of consensus for decision-making, as determined by each team.
 

The district encourages involvement of parents from their children's birth to a point beyond graduation. The involvement of parents on shared decision-making teams, however, will in no way replace the parent involvement which is required by federal and state law, in such areas as special education and Title I remedial programs.
 
The federally-required involvement will be coordinated by the district office administrators who oversee the specific federal programs.
 

A.  Student Achievement Profile: A disaggregated analysis will be done annually on outcomedata for each subject and grade level identified in the “Standards for Monitoring the Primary Goal.” This disaggregated analysis will compare the percent of the students from each socioeconomic level and gender who score at or above established performance levels. Analysis will also be done on all data obtained from  subjects and grade levels listed in the “Standards for Monitoring Companion Goals.”
 
B.   Perception Surveys: Perceptions of various stakeholders, such as teachers, parents, students, and support staff, will be gathered periodically using published or locally-developed surveys. Results will be analyzed and used in determining building needs.
 
 
 

 1.  The purpose of a shared decision-making building team is to improve student achievement.
 
 2.  The team will analyze needs assessment data to identify and prioritize building strengths and areas of need and will set objectives related to this analysis.
 
 3.  The team will develop annual or multi-year plans of action designed to produce increases in  student achievement. These plans will be responsive to the needs of the building and based upon programs and practices which current research literature has shown to be effective.
 
4.  The team will have the use of consultants, models and research literature in developing its plans. The team may request training as needed.
 
5.  The team will access the wider school community to form subcommittees.
 

Building teams will use the following criteria to select issues for shared decision-making:
 
1.  The issue is valid and important, based on the potential for positive long-term impact on student success.
 
2.  The issue is not in an area where district consistency is required. Furthermore, it is not currently being handled by another group within the building.
 
3.  The issue has feasibility:
�   The team has the authority to initiate change on this issue.
�   Solutions are financially feasible.
 
�   Solutions do not conflict with contracts, Board of Education policy, state or federal law.
 
- Changing contractual language requires approval by the bargaining unit.
 
- The possibility exists to obtain variances to state education department regulations.
 
�   The issue will not overwhelm the group because of factors such as importance of other existing issues or the extent of planning and implementation required.
 
VI.  ACCOUNTABILITY
 
1.  Building plans will be approved by building staff. They will also be presented for public review by the Board, the district team, parents, and community members.
 
   Although the Superintendent will not be required to approve building plans, he/she shall receive them for review and comment prior to their presentation to building staff.
 
 2.  Progress on plans will be monitored periodically. Updates on progress will be communicated to school staff, parents, and community members through methods such as newsletters, open houses, and the Board report.
 
 3.    To evaluate the overall success of building plans, perception data will be collected from staff, parents, and, at times, students. Student achievement data will also be summarized and reported.
 
 4.    If objectives of plans are not met, building teams will be obliged to engage in a problem-solving process to analyze and revise plans as needed.
 
VII.  DISPUTE RESOLUTION
 
 Disputes will be resolved at the building level. If a team needs assistance, it may take one or more of these steps toward resolution:
 
�   go back to constituents for more information
�   ask an outside facilitator to work with the team
�   bring in an expert